OVERVIEW

This foundational course consists of 60 hours of lectures (9 CFU) and is intended for students following the Classical and Modern Literature curricula. It provides an introduction to key authors, seminal works, literary theories, and cultural movements within the history of Italian literature.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching's aim is to deepen the discipline's historiographical lines by paying more attention to philological-textual, interpretative, and critical elements. The teaching's main focus is on the Italian literary text, which is analyzed with historical-interpretative comments and placed in literary traditions based on gender coordinates, authorial affirmation, and form. In all educational contexts, the teaching is preparatory to the discipline's teaching.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify, memorize, and define literary genres, styles, and textual traditions from the 13th to the 17th century;

• Recognize genres in poetry and prose, key metrical forms, and rhetorical strategies;

• Accurately paraphrase and critically comment on poetic and prose texts, including Dante's Commedia, both orally and in writing;

• Demonstrate increased awareness of the textual tradition in Italian literary history;

• Present authors and works in both oral and written form, with particular attention to specialized thematic paths introduced during the course.

Transversal Skills Acquired:

• Functional literacy: articulate effectively in oral and written form, using books, texts, and digital tools appropriately;

• Learning to learn: organize and assess one’s own learning processes.

PREREQUISITES

A strong motivation for the subject and a good command of written and spoken Italian are required. A writing workshop in Italian is available for students who need to strengthen their language skills.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures, textual analysis, and group work. Enrollment on Aulaweb is mandatory. Use of laptops is encouraged for specific sessions. Students will be asked to orally present parts of the textbook (functional literacy) and participate in self-assessment tests via Aulaweb.Collaborative workshop on Stilnovo poetry. 

Lecture recordings must be authorized by the instructor and shared responsibly on Teams.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course takes place in the first semester.

PART 1. 30 hours. Dante Alighieri, Vita nova: complete reading. Nothing reminds us quite like Dante of why we study Italian literature. These are the reasons behind this choice. Around Dante, we will build a workshop on Stilnovo poetry through the Book function on Aulaweb. Possibility of flipped classroom lessons (students present parts of the textbook during class).

PART 2. 30 hours. Torquato Tasso, Aminta: complete reading. Complete reading of what Carducci called Tasso's "prodigy," written and performed in 1573. Around this pastoral drama, we will outline the features of the theatrical genre, its classical sources, Aristotelian theory, and connections with Gerusalemme liberata and Il pastor fido by Battista Guarini.

PART 3. INDIVIDUAL STUDY AND IN-CLASS LESSONS RELATED TO PARTS 1 AND 2. Study of the history of Italian literature from the 13th to the 17th century, to be carried out using the indicated textbook and the chapters specified on Aulaweb. From the academic year 2026/2027, a workshop for the study of the textbook worth 1 CFU (October–December) will be available. Strongly recommended. Knowledge of metrics and rhetoric.

Study of Dante Alighieri, Inferno, 15 cantos. The list of cantos will be posted on Aulaweb.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

REQUIRED TEXTS/BIBLIOGRAPHY Parts 1 & 3 (for all students):

• Giancarlo Alfano, Paola Italia, Emilio Russo, Franco Tomasi, Profilo di letteratura italiana. Dalle origini a fine Ottocento, Milano, Mondadori, 2021 (check Aulaweb for chapters);

• Dante Alighieri, Vita nova, ed. Stefano Carrai, Milano, BUR, 2018.

• Strongly recommended: P.G. Beltrami, Gli strumenti della poesia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012; B.M. Garavelli, Il parlar figurato, Laterza, 2014;

• Dante Alighieri, Commedia, ed. A.M. Chiavacci Leonardi, Milano, Mondadori (pocket edition);

• For Part 2:

• T. Tasso, Aminta, ed. Marco Corradini, Milano, BUR (latest edition).

• Further textes and essays will be posted on Aulaweb.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students will follow the same syllabus for the textbook, texts, and Dante’s cantos. They may access recorded lectures and follow updates on Aulaweb. Additional readings may be arranged after October 2026.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Week of 14 September 2026

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

A grading rubric will be agreed upon with students at the end of the course.

• Written Test (Parts 1 & 2): Open and closed questions based on the textbook, administered in December, January and May. This is preparatory for the final exam.

• Oral Exam: Covers class texts and Dante’s Inferno, following successful completion of the written exam. Students may opt for a single comprehensive oral exam (without division), starting from the January 2027 session.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

• Written Test: Assesses readiness, organization, and application of literary methodologies;

• Oral Exam: Assesses textual recognition, paraphrase, contextual analysis, and interpretive skills.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Erasmus students must be sufficiently familiar with the Italian language. They can, however, agree on a substitute bibliography, but the examination is taken in Italian.

Students with disabilities or DSA are reminded that in order to be able to request adaptations in the exam, they must first enter their certification on the University website at servizionline.unige.it in the ‘Students’ section. The documentation will be checked by the University's Services for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and DSA Sector (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).
Subsequently, at least 10 days before the date of the exam, an e-mail must be sent to the teacher with whom you will be sitting the exam, including in copy knowledge of both the School's Referring Teacher for the inclusion of students with disabilities and with DSA (Prof. Elisabetta Colagrossi: elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it) and the Sector indicated above.

The e-mail must specify: the name of the teaching course; the date of the call; the student's surname, first name and roll number; the compensatory and dispensatory measures considered to be functional; and requested.  The contact person will confirm to the teacher that the applicant has the right to request adaptations during the examination and that these adaptations must be agreed upon with the teacher. The lecturer will respond by stating whether the requested adaptations can be used.
Requests must be sent at least 10 days before the date of the exam in order to allow the lecturer to assess their content. In particular, if you intend to use concept maps
conceptual maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than the maps used for studying) if the submission does not meet the deadline, there will be no technical time to make any changes.

For further information on the request for services and adaptations, please refer to the document: https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf